


I’m Gonna Bring the Fashion to this Bad World

by fromthenorthernskies



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Crystal being her adorable sidekick, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Gigi as the bitchy heiress of her family's empire, It will happen, Multi, My throuple rights!!!, Nicky as the boss lady of an upcoming fashion company, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Stupid dumb lesbians, The Clownery but with some French flavour™, Wow Gigi in Choices 2020 really destroyed my brain hasn't it, You KNOW Nicky or Gigi will fuck up at some point, and I mean it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23951098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromthenorthernskies/pseuds/fromthenorthernskies
Summary: Gigi had been in France before, mostly for work though. But this assignment given by her parents was larger than any ones she had previously. At 25, after three years working full-time at Goode Fashion, they thought she was ready for something more. After all, the blonde didn’t do four stupid years as a business major for nothing. It was time to show her parents the whole skillset she had at her disposal. Plus, with her girlfriend at her side, she was fearless – she trusted Crystal to patch up any lack of skill or possible awkwardness due to her abyssal levels of French.
Relationships: Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd, Nicky Doll/Crystal Methyd, Nicky Doll/Crystal Methyd/Gigi Goode, Nicky Doll/Gigi Goode
Comments: 29
Kudos: 73





	1. I’m a Good(e) Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, it’s awesome to be back with a new story! This is a fashion AU with our favourite clowns. I don’t know how it long it’s gonna take to write it – unlike the other story I wrote, I don’t have everything planned yet. This will probably be a three-part story. Stay tuned for the next updates!! 
> 
> PSA: Did I absolutely go feral over Gigi’s look in the debate of Choices 2020? You bet your ass I did. I have no shame. You’re granted a story because of it. Enjoy it.

“This is _so_ fucking stupid, what the hell?”

“Gigi, oh my fucking God, you _knew_ that was coming, why didn’t you listen to what I told you? Your parents told you. Your brothers told you. I sent emails. Texts. Voice messages. Baby, I even dropped hints about it just yesterday!”

Georgina Goode flailed her arms around in despair, angry at herself. She really didn’t know _why_ she didn’t heed Crystal’s warning when the other girl told her that she absolutely needed to speak a comfortable French to even consider going to France to do business. Living a comfortable life in Los Angeles since the day she was born, it wasn’t that Gigi didn’t know French. She kinda did, thanks to her parents forcing her to take classes in high school, and most fashion-related words were French, too.

Gigi just couldn’t be bothered with it, especially if she could just go along with her day in good ol’ English. _Especially_ since she had Crystal next to her to actually translate everything whenever she needed it. Though she had a feeling that this time, her girlfriend wouldn’t be of so much help.

“I can’t avoid this, can I?” she grimaced, falling deeper into the nice leather of her chair.

Crystal sighed, sitting on the blonde’s desk. She was watching the younger one with something in her eyes, probably close to pity, and Gigi almost turned away. Almost. Because Crystal was beautiful and she wouldn’t deny herself of that sight for one second if she could help it. “No, you really can’t, babe.”

The blonde heiress has been her best friend since they had that stupid communication class during their first year of college, where she was a double major in sociology and linguistics, whereas Gigi was a business major. Go figure. They had bonded over their dreaded mid-term project, where they needed to interview random people over the campus to prove their communication skills.

While Gigi had no trouble being confident and made small talk like a pro, she was easily exhausted whenever she did a lot of human interaction. Crystal, on the other hand, was the lovable weirdo that made most people do a double take, but had no trouble talking to strangers for hours on end.

It only made sense that they team up and actually get their mid-term project done together. They finished with an A, and it was the start of a solid friendship. Crystal never cared much about Gigi’s surname, her fame or her money – she was mostly interested in talking designs with her. That’s how they started working together, too. When they graduated, and Gigi went to take her place in her parents’ company, the Goode Fashion, she brought Crystal along with her.

Her role in the company was… vague, to say the least. Most people thought she was there to temper the impulsivity and recklessness of Gigi, but in reality, she acted mostly as half-a-secretary, half-a-fellow-designer. Nevertheless, she didn’t mind – she was just happy to be constantly with her girlfriend, both at work and at home.

They couldn’t come out – _well_ , Gigi wanted to. But the tall blonde always was kind of a rebel, who refused to take shit from anyone. She thrived on facing-off against others. Crystal, on the other hand, had a tendency to just retract into her shell to avoid confrontation and problems. Having being bullied most of her high school years, she supposed it was her only way to keep safe (and sane). The usually grinning girl thought of life this way: if there was no need to create problem, let’s just _not_.

That being said, she was absolutely adamant against telling Gigi’s family and the public in general for that same reason – she loved her girlfriend’s parents and her brothers, they were like a second family to her. Hell, their parents were good friends and went on vacation together almost every year. Their brothers, who all varied in ages, all got along together and they played sports or video games with each other. And that was because her family was still back in Missouri. She was sure that if they were to move to California, they would basically try to be neighbours or something.

Did Crystal want to test this? And fuck things up for everyone in both their families? Nah, no thank you. She was pretty sure Gigi’s parents wouldn’t care, neither would all their brothers, but her own parents were pretty conservative – and as the only daughter _and_ the baby, she wasn’t too sure how they would take it. They had made jokes of her and one of Gigi’s older brothers, but that was it was: jokes. Right?! Because not only would they have to come out as lesbians (well, bisexual for her) but also announce their own relationship. Just thinking about doing it gave her shivers.

“Babe?” The redhead was surprised by the sudden loud voice of her girlfriend and tilted her head in question. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Sorry, I just… was thinking about our families”, she admitted quietly. She saw the blonde’s features soften lightly, a thing that would have been missed by a lot of people, but not her. She knew Gigi inside-out. She saw the hesitation clear on her face, too. “About… your dad?”

It was a soft spot for her, especially since her father’s diagnosis with Parkinson. She couldn’t count the numbers of days (and nights) she spent crying in Gigi’s arms about it, and she was constantly afraid whenever she wasn’t home. The redhead was terrified her dad would be gone one day when she got back to Missouri.

“No, just thinking about like, how close we all were and how I never want to fuck it up.” Crystal was trying to laugh it off, but saw the serious expression on her girlfriend’s face. “I know you really wanna tell them, but –“

“Crys, I would _never_ go against your wishes. You know that, right? We’ve been together for years. Yes, I wanna come out, but not if it hurts you or makes you scared, okay?” Gigi had moved from her seat to come hug her lover tightly, conveying her emotions through it.

“I know, it’s just… I don’t want to be separated from you because of it, I just wanna stay with you like right now, everything’s fine, and we’re okay, and –“

“Babe, breathe”, Gigi murmured, worried for the older girl. “It’s gonna be fine. Nobody knows. We’re just best friends, living together because it’s more convenient for work”, she continued, just as softly. She knew of her best friend turned lover’s deep anxiety and just wanted to ease it the best she could. “Look, tomorrow, we’re gonna be on a plane for France. It will be alright. You know my parents forced me to bring you anyway”, Gigi chuckled, even more when Crystal nodded cutely. “I’m glad I get to have you by my side, I don’t know what to do with myself if you’re not there to help me”, she confided, a silver of vulnerability lingering in her voice.

“I’m sure you’d manage… kinda… maybe? Okay, probably not.”

Gigi just pushed her away while chuckling and smiled when the other girl grabbed her by her tie to kiss her lightly instead. It always made her breathless, no matter how much time had passed since the first time she made her move. When Crystal left to help the other designers, not before giving her a wink and closing her door, she allowed herself to sigh.

_Stupid fucking romance language._

* * *

After more than ten long hours on the plane – most of which she just listened aimlessly to some playlist Crystal made for her while sketching some dresses – they finally landed in Paris. The redhead was super energetic, as she always was, but she napped probably like nine hours out of the last ten, so that could help too.

Gigi had been in France before, mostly for work though. But this assignment given by her parents was larger than any ones she had previously. At 25, after three years working full-time at Goode Fashion, they thought she was ready for something more. After all, the blonde didn’t do four stupid years as a business major for nothing. It was time to show her parents the whole skillset she had at her disposal. Plus, with her girlfriend at her side, she was fearless – she trusted Crystal to patch up any lack of skill or possible awkwardness due to her abyssal levels of French.

They were supposed to meet up with their contact in the lobby of Doll Industries for 4pm, and it was already 3:45. Gigi grumbled, swearing under her breath. _Of course_. Because why would she actually arrive in time and make a good fucking impression? When she needed it because her French sucked so much? From the corner of her stormy grey eyes, she saw that Crystal had already found an Uber. Bless her girlfriend for using that over-the-top energy and actually being a good fucking French speaker, unlike her.

During the whole trip – a big seventeen minutes, not that Gigi counted, per se – Crystal was talking in an animated French with the brunette girl driving them. She had no idea what they were babbling about, apart for the few words here and there like her own name or things like _fashion_ , that was already in her language. Gigi spent most of the trip watching outside, until they made it only a few minutes late, thanks to the somewhat reckless driving of the Parisian at the wheel.

Gigi had grabbed their suitcases as fast as possible and dragged them – and a star struck Crystal – towards the building, paying no mind to the exterior of it, _goddammit_ , they were late.

They arrived in a luxurious lobby – all-around illuminated by soft subdued lights, the large windows illuminating the rest. Pictures and prints were hanging from the walls, with some outfits locked away in glass displays near the entrance. Gigi liked it instantly – it was just… _exactly_ what she had expected from an upcoming prestigious fashion and design company. Especially one that wanted to associate itself with her family’s own. Though it was a bit small…

“ _Bonne fin d’après-midi! J’espère que vous ne vous êtes pas perdus dans les rues de Paris?_ ”

Gigi almost jumped out of her skin at the calm but booming voice that came from the stairway, and saw that Crystal had tilted her head in question. She turned fully to face the woman, probably the girl supposed to show them the way to her boss.

She had wanted to answer her, really – there was just two major problems: first, she had barely understood what the blonde had asked, and second, the French girl was… out of this world? She had never felt that awestruck before, except perhaps the first time she laid eyes fully on Crystal back in college. And even then – their relationship had started more on common grounds and deep friendship than powerful, right off the bat attraction.

Wearing a simple white blouse with a short black pencil skirt, the woman looked their age, and had very short blonde hair, with some strands falling lightly on the side of her bronzed face. While she moved the hair away, her pale blue eyes seemed to shine with amusement, especially since the Americans hadn’t answered her yet. “… You don’t speak a word of French, do you?” While her accent was noticeable, Gigi just _liked_ hearing it taint her every word.

It was Crystal that saved them, once again. “I do! It’s just Gigi, she sucks –“ that prompted a _“hey!”_ from an irritated Gigi, but it was barely acknowledged –“she doesn’t speak a word of it. I tried to teach her, but she’s just hard-headed”, complained Crystal with a soft smirk directed to her girlfriend. “But we didn’t get lost. We just got off the plane. It was late”, the redhead provided with a large smile only a girl like her could muster.

The blonde could have died on the spot, not necessarily wanting the French woman to know that she despised her mother tongue with a passion. Embarrassed, she nevertheless made her way towards their contact, to shake her hand. “Just so you know, I _do_ know a few words, I’m just…” Gigi hesitated, looking for the exact way to convey the fact that she sucked but to make it seem less terrible. She heard Crystal mutter a _“horrible”_ under her breath and she shot her girlfriend a warning look. The redhead merely made a face and pouted a bit.

“You’re horrible?” proposed the other blonde, while biting her bottom lip to keep her laugher in. Gigi stared, surprised and unsure what to answer, when the other woman released her hand and grinned. It reminded her of Crystal’s smiles. “I’m sorry, I just heard your friend say that and… it was too tempting to mess with you”, she admitted. “Am I forgiven?” The platinum blonde had a cheeky smile that was really hard to resist, in the American’s opinion.

Gigi couldn’t find it in herself to feel angry against the other girl, even though she was slightly embarrassed. “It’s fine”, she assured instead, moving a hand to push back her darker blonde hair. “I’m Gigi Goode, and this is my best friend and associate Crystal Harness, we’re supposed to meet the boss of the Doll Industries, can you show us the way?”

The girl had a weird look in her ocean-like irises for a few seconds before she nodded softly. “Please, follow me, the office is just on the second floor.”

The short walk was anything but silent, with Crystal commenting in French the various prints and designs she liked, and the other girl eagerly answering. At least, that’s what Gigi guessed they were excited about. They were laughing and the blonde put a hand on the redhead’s forearm, bursting out laughing at the latest thing Crystal had told her. Gigi almost felt left out (and jealous?), until her girlfriend looked at her and winked before turning her attention to the Parisian. What the hell were they even talking about?!

Before she knew it, they were let in the office, and, weirdly, the girl didn’t knock on the door to announce anything. She just… entered like it was her place to own. Gigi frowned. Maybe she was just as close with her boss as she was with Crystal? Minus the relationship, perhaps? She grimaced inwardly for thinking that.

The other blonde just put both hands on the ebony desk and smirked in her direction. She really was looking at Gigi, not sparing a glance at Crystal. “Hello, Gigi Goode, and welcome to Doll Industries. You can call me Nicky. Nicky Doll.”

Is that what Crystal and the blonde – Nicky, she corrected herself – were mumbling about in French earlier? She turned to the side to see the mirth in Crystal’s traits and coupled with the mischievousness in Parisian’s blue eyes, she knew she was in deep shit.


	2. Some Say I’m Weird, But They’re Just Lame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crystal had never been the best at realizing when someone was flirting with her – thus the length of time between her friendship and relationship with Gigi, who basically did everything herself. But now, she wasn’t involved – and seeing her girlfriend of almost five years, pining for a girl they met a few weeks ago, it was suddenly extremely clear. Honestly, she wasn’t sure what to think about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I did not forget about this fic! And I hope you didn't either!  
> I finally got around to write the second chapter.  
> Let me know what you think in comments, and leave a kudos if you liked it!  
> Alright, get ready for almost 2k of Crystal being c o n f u s e d.

Crystal liked Paris. She was having a great time in the city of love, between the fantastic food and the talks with Nicky about their respective styles of fashion – but she knew her girlfriend, Gigi, had the opposite opinion on all of this.

The blonde heiress was still struggling with her adaptation, since almost everyone and everything around her was in French. Also… the typical Parisian’s English accent was horrible, most of the time, so Gigi could barely rely on that. Nicky, highly amused by it all, had made sure to give the girl some well-needed lessons after their meetings for business.

Still, the American _knew_ her girlfriend was headstrong and stubborn, like a thick log of wood that refuses to get cut down even by the strongest of tools. What Crystal didn’t expect was the absolute resilience and patience of Nicky, who seemed to have a similar stubborn strike _and_ the tools to break down Gigi from her high horse. The Parisian seemed determined to teach her language to the other blonde, and Gigi was actually making some progress. Who would have thought…?

That being said, it also meant Crystal spent most of the post-meetings rushing out of the room to get some food, to go to the bathroom, or really, _anything else_ that could make her avoid the verbal sparring match between her pissed-off American lover and the smug French woman. Strangely enough, Gigi seemed more subdued near the Parisian girl, and it took Crystal a good few days to realize the reason behind her actions. At first, the redhead was sure her partner was just a bit star struck or jealous of Nicky, maybe even feeling out of her element completely in a foreign country. But she quickly came to recognize certain gestures and actions that Gigi made around the Parisian.

The way she let her blonde hair run freely behind her back during their meeting, talking about their mutual designs – while she never did that, always complaining that her wavy blonde hair was in the way when she was trying to draw.

The way she got all flustered during their heated debates on American and French fashion currents, and Gigi blaming it on being angry, but it was definitely more because of the French woman’s sharp and smug replies.

The way she rushed out of bed every morning for their daily meetings at Doll Industries, while she always had trouble waking up before noon. And then how Gigi would spend most meetings just staring at Nicky, expecting Crystal to pick up her slack, since she was in no shape to take accurate notes.

Crystal had never been the best at realizing when someone was flirting with her – thus the length of time between her friendship and relationship with Gigi, who basically did everything herself. But now, she wasn’t involved – and seeing her girlfriend of almost five years, pining for a girl they met a few weeks ago, it was suddenly extremely clear. Honestly, she wasn’t sure what to think about it.

On one hand, she could totally understand Gigi’s infatuation with the older blonde, as she felt something akin to that, albeit in a more “friendly” way than her girlfriend. Gigi’s usually calm blue-grey eyes warned of storms every time the French woman pushed her around, literally or not. Crystal though Nicky was super pretty, but would she feel attracted to her? She was afraid of the fact that she didn’t have the answer.

On the other hand, she couldn’t help but feel a peak of jealousy deeply lodged at the epicentre of her heart. Usually, Gigi had only eyes for her – it had been like that since their first year in college, and even now. The American heiress was surrounded by incredibly beautiful people at the fashion shows, men and women alike, and yet, she always came home to Crystal with barely sparring a glance towards them.

So to see her fawning over Nicky, so openly, Crystal was just… curious, maybe? Especially since she had a good relation with the older woman, too, and she didn’t want to break their burgeoning friendship. But she wasn’t about to let Nicky get her girlfriend without doing anything, either.

* * *

On the next morning, Nicky had warned them that the meeting would be a bit special, and that they were free to arrive a bit later than usual. Curious, the two girls took the time to have breakfast in a restaurant near their hotel before meeting up with their business partner at the Doll Industries.

When they arrived, they were surprised to hear laughter in the whole building. More than they expected – as usually, a few of Nicky’s friends would be moving around the place, taking calls or perfecting designs, and talk animatedly, but nothing that loud. As they made their way upstairs and into the office of Nicky, they were met with an unknown short blonde woman, well-dressed and that looked to be in her early fifties. A laptop was settled on the table, with a Skype conversation opened and two people smiling softly.

“Mom? Dad?!” Gigi was holding her arm tightly, probably giving her a few marks from her sharp manicured nails, but Crystal kept her groan of pain in, instead waving and grinning the best she could to her second set of parents. “What are you doing here?!”

“Oh, baby, we wanted to see how you were doing, and since you were barely answering our calls and texts, we decided that we could get a hold of you through Miss Doll here”, started Gigi’s dad with a large smile, while his daughter was blushing in shame. “Also, it was quite the chance that we got to talk with Miss Doll and her mother discussing new designs and collaboration!”

“Please, Mr. Goode, you call me Nicky…” started the youngest French woman in the room with a soft tone.

“Very well, then call me Henry! After all, we’re all business partners now aren’t we?”

“We are, me and your daughter have been having lots of fun here planning new designs for both our companies”, smugly added Nicky with a wink towards Gigi, who looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her open.

“Ah, yes… one of the line of design is quite provocative, and I like it. Also, I do believe pushing forward LGBTA+ causes forward is a very good thing. I commend you for that idea, Nicky”, complimented Gigi’s mom with a smile. “Where did you get the inspiration, if I may ask?”

“Ah… I am myself bisexual and I’d like to think that I can make a change in the world by promoting my designs in both France, and the world”, explained Nicky simply.

All three parents in the room nodded with a smile, accepting the woman for who she was. Crystal turned to Gigi, watching her jaw almost unhinge from the shock of it. She felt the stormy grey eyes of her secret lover burn into the side of her head, but decided to continue talking with Henry and Kristi before they excused themselves to go for a meeting. They assured Crystal they would give her regards and love to her parents and brothers when they met next week, and the laptop screen turned black.

“Well, I’ll also get going, ladies, if you’ll excuse me. I have a brunch with the ladies from the lecture club at 11”, started Nicky’s mom, which had definitely shared most of her traits with her only daughter. “Nicky, _sois gentile avec elles, tu n’as jamais su comment agir quand tu tombes sous le charme de quelqu’un_ , _encore moins maintenant… tu t’es dépassée cette fois-ci_!”

“ _MAMAN_!” screeched Nicky with an outraged expression, turning red instantly. “You know Crystal speaks French, RIGHT?!”

“All better! Maybe someone can knock some sense into that thick head of yours, huh?” hummed her mother with the same smirk her daughter possessed.

Crystal, on the other hand, was flabbergasted. So she wasn’t imagining it. Nicky also had something for her best friend and lover. She narrowed her dark brown eyes at the designer, while her mother left the premises, amused with the whole situation. She was feeling strangely defensive of Gigi and without realizing it, she had pushed the blonde behind her slightly, moving towards Nicky.

The poor older blonde looked panicked. “Crystal, I swear, I’m not gonna do anything, I just –“ The American gripped the collar of the taller one in warning, but didn’t put much strength into it. She didn’t need to. Nicky looked terrified.

“ _Je ne me répéterai pas. Gigi est à moi. Compris_?” the redhead saw the French woman nod softly, looking all miserable for some reason. “We’re never speaking of this again”, she gritted after a few seconds, releasing the woman in front of her, trying her best to look threatening even if she wanted to cry inside. She hated this. She hated conflicts and hurting people.

Gigi was merely looking between the two of them, anxious as to why Crystal was acting all domineering suddenly. That was usually her style, not her soft girlfriend’s one, who just cowered in face of conflicts. “Are you two… alright?” A double “yes” was her only answer, while Crystal went back to Gigi’s side with her typical grinning smile, and Nicky turned around, letting out a shuddery breath.

Crystal made sure to watch Nicky’s every move with predatory eyes all morning, but couldn’t help but feel like she had missed something, from the way the French woman seemed as distraught by the possibility of losing a chance with Gigi, but also a friendship with her. Or maybe she only saw the good in people, and Nicky was just worried for her business. She didn’t know the Parisian enough to tell. Crystal still felt bad for being rough with her. _Maybe I should apologize later…?_

* * *

Later, Crystal realized, never came, however. Nicky had almost thrown them outside as soon as they were done with their meeting for the day, and had locked herself in her office since then, according to her colleagues.

Besides, she had to deal with a moody Gigi. The blonde was angry she refused to disclose the information in French they had shared, _and_ was depressed because _“Nicky can be out and proud, to my fucking family nonetheless, and we can’t? You know it will be okay they all agreed! Why can’t we just come out already, Crys, what are we gonna do when I ask you to marry me?”_

Honestly, that night, Crystal just wanted to throw herself into their bed, and never emerge again. She had fucked up her friendship with Nicky, she felt like shit because Gigi AND Nicky obliviously had something going on and she was just there… as the third-wheel, and Gigi was _probably_ right about coming out but she was way too afraid to think about it. She sent a few texts over to Nicky, to apologize about her actions during the day, and when it was seemingly resolved, she tried to close her eyes, and ignore the light snoring from her best friend next to her.

It couldn’t get worse, right? Everything was fine, she told herself while finally falling asleep in the middle of the night.


	3. From Paris to New York, Now Me Voilà

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicky smiled at Crystal’s cute answer and put back her phone on the table nearby. She finished her wine and went to her room, wobbling slightly, trying to avoid a hangover morning as much as possible. Especially since now they weren’t fighting anymore. It didn’t solve anything for the future, but it was a small hope for the best. Nicky could live with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I revisited the two previous chapters since I found some errors that were bugging me.   
> Nothing too big, just some formatting and a few lore mistakes. Don't worry about re-reading, unless you really want to.  
> This was originally supposed to be the last chapter of the series (look... I based it off their I'm That Bitch verse... I didn't think this through did I)...  
> Alas, you're gonna have a final fourth chapter later in the week if I can tell my stupid brain to work on it instead of various side projects.   
> Until then, you are granted a whole chapter of Nicky's need to make sure she doesn't fuck up everything but not knowing what to do this all of this.

Staying away from the two Americans proved to be more difficult than Nicky had expected. Especially since they were working together… and they were both so enticing to her, albeit in very different ways.

Looking at the heiress of Goode Fashion, Nicky almost felt like she was looking at herself in the mirror. Blonde, tall, lean, with a smug smirk and bitchy streak. Not only that, but the younger one was also headstrong and bold with her designs. Their few differences, however, were stark and brutally smashed any and all illusion that she have about their resemblance at the first eye.

It was the reverse when it came to Crystal: while they couldn’t look more different on the surface, they had lots in common, she realized, when they started talking more. The French designer enjoyed the kind and positive attitude of the redhead and found that it meshed well with her sassiness and dry sense of humour.

That being said, she found herself enjoying both their presence at the Doll Industries. She liked going over drawings with Gigi and arguing with her about French or America. She liked her talks with Crystal over pastries in the late afternoon, when she could freely talk in French, while Crystal answered in English, sometimes adding a touch of Spanish, teaching her at the same time.

But of course, her mother had to fuck it up – she knew it wasn’t really her fault, but she still felt angry about it. She had everything under control before. Okay, maybe not really, but it was still alright. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn’t a dumb blonde, and she _knew_ the two Americans were dating: it was painstakingly oblivious to anyone who had eyes. They looked at each other like they were soulmates. For that reason alone, she was determined to keep her small crush on both of them under wraps.

But now… it was out of the window, wasn’t it?

After concluding their meeting for that day, she sent them home under the guise of her needing to make important phone calls. Nicky used that time to sit at her desk, watching the Parisian skyline outside her large windows, and sighed. She didn’t know what was going to happen. Clearly, Crystal had been angry. At first, Nicky thought it was because of her crush on both of them, but she came to the shocking realisation that Crystal _believed_ she only had something for Gigi and felt threatened by it.

The Parisian didn’t know how she would fix this. She had done exactly what she had wanted to avoid: mess up their relationship. She was fine with getting her heart broken yet again, she could bear it, but messing their long-term relationship for what? Maybe half-a-fling? Yeah, she wasn’t interested. _Et merde…_

After a few hours, she actually left to head home and drink her sorrows. Nothing a good bottle of red wine from Bordeaux couldn’t solve, right? Maybe with a bubble bath and some light music…

* * *

As she was lounging in her living room with a glass of wine, Nicky was absentmindedly scrolling through her social networks accounts. Nothing had grasped her attention yet, and she was yawning, already tired from her day. She was about to close her phone when she saw a small bubble of notification pop up suddenly. Frowning, she dragged her finger across the screen with curiosity.

**De: Crystal, 9:58pm**

_I’m sorry._

While Nicky was pondering about how to answer, her phone lit up with another notification.

**De: Crystal, 10:00pm**

_About today, I mean, I’m sorry. I never meant to threaten you._

_We’re still friends, right?_

_I really enjoy talking with you, Nick._

Nicky blushed lightly, reading the last message from Crystal made her face feel like burning. She really liked Crystal, even if the girl was dumb as a brick about her feelings for her. The blonde struggled to think of a good answer and felt the rush of adrenaline kick in.

**À: Crystal, 10:05pm**

_You don’t have to apologize, I understand_

_We’ll be friends for as long as you want. If you need anything, I’m here._

_PS: you are as threatening as a teddy bear :P_

**De: Crystal, 10:06pm**

_I can be threatening! :(_

_And thank you I appreciate it <3 _

_Good night, sleep well!_

Nicky smiled at Crystal’s cute answer and put back her phone on the table nearby. She finished her wine and went to her room, wobbling slightly, trying to avoid a hangover morning as much as possible. Especially since now they weren’t fighting anymore. It didn’t solve anything for the future, but it was a small hope for the best. Nicky could live with that.

* * *

Nothing, _nothing_ , could have prepared her for the storm that was coming her way at 5 in the morning. Nicky usually woke up around 7, to get to her office for 8, but this time she was rudely awoken by a loud brutal sound. Half-awake, she palmed the side of her bed where she was sure she had left her phone, but was confused when she realized she had no notifications or incoming calls.

The Parisian sat down in her kind-sized bed, pushing down the covers sharply, trying to wipe off the sleep from her face. She almost jumped out of her skin when she realized _someone_ was banging on her door, and that was the source of the sound. Still confused, Nicky grabbed the first combo of t-shirt and pyjama pants she found and headed for the door, grumbling under her breath.

“ _Allez, il est 5 heure du mat’, sérieusement –“_ Nicky stopped when her arms were suddenly full of a smaller body against hers, making her wobble on her feet before firmly standing her ground. “Crystal?!”

The redhead was holding on to her like a lifeline, her frame wracked by heart wrenching sobs that froze the blood in the French woman’s veins – and made her completely and suddenly alert. What was Crystal doing here so early? They had talked and everything was alright, right? RIGHT?! Nicky tried to push the American slightly away to try and gather some information, but the younger merely whined and tightened her hold over her back even more, if it was possible. Nicky knew she wasn’t getting any answers until her friend had calmed down, so she brought the crying woman to her sofa.

She quickly realized she would have to sit down as well, since the other one was so adamant about staying glued to her body. Sighing lightly, the Parisian dropped inelegantly on the soft surface, making sure to keep Crystal from falling while doing so. She took her forgotten wool blanket from the corner of the sofa, and lightly dragged it across them.

Nicky settled for softly running her slender fingers through the mess of curls of the younger woman, waiting for her sobs to recede. The blonde had a great view of the sun rising over the Parisian skyline from her apartment and watched with renewed wonder, trying to avoid thinking about how anxious she was over Crystal being so hurt in her arms at this _god dammed_ forsaken hour of the morning.

After a few minutes, Crystal seemed to calm down, even if she was still shaking and weeping a bit. Nicky decided to try again, her voice a bit hoarse from not speaking and lack of sleep. “Hey, baby… what’s going on?” This only seemed to spur Crystal as she saw more tears fall from her deep brown eyes.

“You sound like Gigi”, the American began, hot drops of water falling onto Nicky’s t-shirt, and Crystal broke down again, “ _Oh my god_ , Gigi, what am I going to do?” She mumbled endlessly.

“Crys, you’re not making any sense… what happened? Is Gigi okay? Did you two fight?”, asked Nicky relentlessly, getting more and more worried with each question, her voice rising a few octaves in the process. “She outed us”, finally blurted out the distraught woman in Nicky’s arms. “Gigi”, she specified, trying to wipe away her tears on the sleeve of her vest. “She was just… so angry that we couldn’t tell the whole world especially after seeing you being out and proud and she just called her parents _and mine that were there too_ and told them everything: me being bisexual, her being a lesbian, us dating for almost five years…”

Seeing Nicky’s curious expression, the American continued. “I _specifically_ told her to NOT do this, I wasn’t ready, and I’m not ready…” The Parisian saw a new wave of tears wash over the beautiful face of the redhead and sighed. “I’m so sorry, _chérie_. Can I do anything to help?”

“Well, you holding me is quite nice… can we stay like that? All day?”

Crystal was making the saddest puppy face Nicky had ever seen in her entire life and she knew instantly she would never be able to deny her anything. “Fine, I’ll call Jaida and tell her to take over for me today… and handle Gigi?”

“But”, started the French woman, “you’ll have to tell me the whole story _and_ at least text Gigi to let her know you’re fine, since you probably ran away earlier”, bargained Nicky with a no-nonsense voice. She was pleased to see Crystal nod, albeit with a miserable face, and she sighed yet again. “Do you wanna go back to sleep?”

When Crystal nodded and actually let her out of her grasp, Nicky groaned, finally able to breathe correctly. She showed the other woman the way to her room and while she had fully expected to stay awake and just watch over the American, she felt herself slip into the dreamlands rather quickly, her last realization being that they were cuddling and how comfortable she felt with it.

* * *

When she woke up for the second time that morning, Nicky frowned. Her skin felt clammy and sweaty, but it was mostly because of the sun coming through the window and the pile of blankets she had on her. Quickly pushing them off, she noticed that Crystal wasn’t there anymore and couldn’t help the feeling of her heart dropping in her stomach at the thought of the redhead leaving, only leaving behind a small hint of her perfume.

She frowned, pinching at the bridge of her nose, trying _really hard_ to contain in that stupid yearning for her _friend_ , which was very much taken, a stupid fight wouldn’t change that – and she would never dare do something anyway. She was a coward, she always had been. Especially when she liked someone. Nicky stopped when she heard sounds coming from her kitchen and instantly got up.

“ _Bon matin_!” Crystal was grinning with the cutest pink apron she had ever seen in her life – _did she even have that in her things?_ – and was waving her spatula around. “I hope you won’t mind, but I was hungry and I thought you would be too, so I made pancakes!” Her voice was cheery, but she deflated a bit when she saw the haggard look in Nicky’s soft blue eyes. “Nick, are you alright? Did I do something wrong?”

Nicky sighed, taking large steps to come hug the American against her, feeling the slight hesitation in Crystal’s body before she committed to the hug fully. “I just thought you left or something. Ignore me, I’m just being dumb”, the Parisian mumbled softly, her voice slightly muffled by the shoulder of her friend. “Are you feeling a bit better?”

“Yeah, I guess sleeping helped a bit. I texted Gigi and told her I would come home another day”, Crystal continued with resignation, turning from the hug to flip the pancakes. She seemed to hesitate, before looking back to Nicky. “Do you think I overreacted?”

“ _Chérie_ , I barely know the whole story”, started Nicky with a kind tone. “But I don’t think you exaggerated. Gigi clearly stepped out of line, you weren’t ready”, Nicky swallowed with difficulty, pausing for a few seconds, watching the dark brown eyes water slightly. She _needed_ to say the next words. “I also think that Gigi’s reckless and it probably got to her head. That doesn’t excuse her, _of course_ , but I think you two should talk it out.”

Crystal mumbled something under her breath, angrily pushing away the tears in her eyes. “I told her I didn’t wanna see her and I wasn’t sure what we were after that”, she admitted with guilt.

Nicky breathed out slowly, taking a few pancakes and starting to eat, making a face at the delicious taste of it. “I think your relationship’s stronger than some stupid fight”, she began, “and these are delicious. Can I interest you in a full-time cooking position?” Crystal just let out a soft laughed and shook her head.

“Glad you like them! Also… I think that wasn’t the only problem in our relationship as of late”, the redhead continued, sitting down as well. “You two are also attracted to each other and are way too stubborn to acknowledge it”, Crystal insinuated, but not unkindly. 

Nicky paled. She thought they wouldn’t need to talk about it again – she had already settled for _conceal don’t feel_ until the ground swallowed her whole to an early grave. “I told you, I would never come between the two of you”, warned Nicky in a shaky voice. “But I think you should know the whole truth about this.”

When Crystal only watched her with questioning eyes, Nicky took the fall. “Gigi’s not the only one I’m attracted to…” Seeing Crystal’s face change slightly to disbelief, she bit the inside of her mouth, afraid of her reaction, especially since they had slept in the same bed a few hours before. “You mean, you like one of your friends?”

Before she could physically restrain herself, the blonde just face palmed herself hard, groaning in pain at the strike. “Crystal, _sérieusement?_ You’re so – I meant, I like you TOO! You’re just as attractive as Gigi, just in different ways, at least for me, and I’ll stop talking now before I shoot myself in the foot even more.” Nicky was pinching her nose, before hiding her face into her hands. This conversation wasn’t going where she had wanted it.

The Parisian wasn’t surprised by the lack of noise. It was just… eerily silent, in the apartment, suddenly. She had probably messed up everything, but hey, wasn’t she just the master of this? Lost in her own thoughts, she was surprised when she felt the burning hands of Crystal push her own hands away, looking at her with an unreadable expression. “Crystal, what are you –“

The rest of the words died on her tongue when she felt their lips collide in a soft way. Nicky gasped lightly, afraid to even move a single muscle, and let Crystal dictate the rhythm of their kiss. It didn’t last long – but the American bit lightly on her bottom lip before moving back, making her groan in pure want. Oh, now that she had tasted it, she just wanted to dive back right into it. Nicky almost whined when Crystal stopped touching her forearms too. “I’m sorry, I- I just, I hadn’t realized you wanted me too”, apologized the redhead, before she started to laugh without fun. “Wow, Gigi’s gonna be _so fucking mad_ ”, she realized before sitting down near the other woman. “Is it bad if I liked it?”

“Crys, please, right now I _really_ need you to not spur me on or I don’t know what I’ll do to you”, commanded Nicky sharply, trying to keep the rising arousal and anger in the best she could. She breathed in deeply a few times. “Okay, so, let me handle this. I’ll go see Gigi later, I’ll tell her I kissed you, and then you two can make up and we’ll forget all of this, alright?”

“But I was the one who kissed you”, mumbled Crystal, playing with her hair strands absentmindedly. Nicky shrugged, picking at her nails a bit, faking her calm demeanour. “I just want to make sure you two are okay”, she admitted. “Let me do this for you.” She waited to see Crystal nod unenthusiastically and continued to eat with her.

Even if the eventual conversation between her and Gigi occupied her every thoughts, Nicky managed to keep an adequate distance between her and the other woman, while they chatted of their typical subjects. Their hands still brushed from times to times, and Nicky _still_ felt the wave of longing for the American, but she abruptly toned it down, anxiety rising in her veins steadily. She had no idea how she would deal with Gigi.


	4. I'm That Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had heard from Crystal around noon, when the redhead only told her she was safe and would come back eventually. Nothing else. All periods, no emoji. She had grimaced seeing it, and didn’t bother with an answer. Gigi didn’t know what to say, anyway. She had never been good with words, unless it was to flirt. If it was to talk about her emotions and mistakes though? Yeah, not happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Thank you for being there for this whole story!  
> Comments and kudos were really appreciated.  
> I'm glad it's completed, because I have more side projects to work on!! 
> 
> For now, and the for the last time, enjoy 3k of Gigi finally making the puzzle pieces all work together.

If Gigi remembered anything from her verbal spats with Nicky (besides how attractive her face was when she was angry), it was the curse words. She was quite certain her French swear vocabulary would rival any native at that point. And after messing up with Crystal and their respective families, she had lots of time to practice that skill. Out loud. In the middle of their hotel room.

She paced the floor, angry at herself, but more distraught by the fact that Crystal had left in a hurry. Her best friend hadn’t taken anything with her, except for her phone. She had even left her key on the table. Gigi wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Also, where did Crystal even go? Yes, the woman spoke fluent French, but that didn’t meant she knew Paris that well. The redhead was probably crying right now and Gigi was extremely anxious as to what could happen to her. And after what had transpired with Nicky earlier that day, the American heiress wasn’t sure Crystal would go to their business partner, especially this early.

The blonde called her numerous times, and left even more vocal messages or texts. But none were returned or even acknowledged by her secret girlfriend. She was worried out of her skin and that was the only reason Gigi resorted to harass Nicky. That was what she was telling herself in order to feel better with the vulnerability of it, though. But again, the messages she left were unheard.

Feeling white hot tears fall from her eyes, angrily wiping them away, she took off for the Doll Industries, certain that she would at least meet Nicky there. When she arrived, she was surprised to see the building open, but not because of the French blonde. Instead, it was Jaida, Nicky’s main seamstress and close friend, which was standing in her stead. The black woman had merely raised a perfect eyebrow, eyeing her carefully. When Gigi asked for Nicky, the older woman simply told her that her boss would stay home for the day, citing emergency reasons.

Gigi’s eyes narrowed. Of course. How curious that it would happen on the day Crystal disappeared. At least they probably were together and safe? That was good enough for Gigi, at least for now. She thanked the seamstress and gathered her things to sit in Nicky’s office alone. She still had work to do, especially if the other two didn’t come in to help her.

For most of the day, she worked on her designs, and actually made some good advancement in those – all the rage and sadness she felt, she turned it into art. She had barely left the office, only to eat and drink. She allowed herself to take a break finally when the sun settled from the outside window, and the American sighed, her neck hurting from being hunched over papers all day.

She had heard from Crystal around noon, when the redhead only told her she was safe and would come back eventually. Nothing else. All periods, no emoji. She had grimaced seeing it, and didn’t bother with an answer. Gigi didn’t know what to say, anyway. She had never been good with words, unless it was to flirt. If it was to talk about her emotions and mistakes though? Yeah, not happening.

Gigi thought that their time in Paris would be ideal to ask Crystal to come out officially and then, ask for her hand – because she didn’t think she could bear to live without her by her side, the whole world could go to hell if they didn’t like it. But she _knew_ the girl wasn’t ready, afraid of their families (especially hers) judging them and separating them. For the almost last five years, she had abdicated, following her secret lover’s wish.

But seeing Nicky being out to everyone? It made her go berserk, like she had no control over herself anymore. Coupled with the point of anger she felt towards Crystal for not telling her about what everyone had said in French, she couldn’t help it. Gigi couldn’t help calling her parents – that were conveniently with Crystal’s – and babble all their secrets like only her could, while her girlfriend was looking horrified in the background. That was the last thing she saw before Crystal left, banging the door that shook on its hinges.

While the two sets of parents, and their brothers, all didn’t mind much, and had guessed it way earlier, they were concerned about the rift in their relationship caused by her reckless endeavour. Gigi had grimaced and promised to fix things up, not needing to be beaten up by all her brothers, who were super protective of Crystal since childhood. Yes, even her _own_ brothers. Crystal truly was the baby of their families, even though the blonde was technically the youngest.

She sighed, again, spinning absentmindedly on Nicky’s leather chair, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Would Crystal ever forgive her? Has she lost the adorable woman of her life for good this time? Her heart thumped abruptly in a discordant way against her side after the American had the thought. _She had to fix this._

* * *

Gigi woke up with a start, when she heard the door of the office close and winced from the sudden bright light coming from the ceiling. How did she even fall asleep? She blearily tried to make out the silhouette from the door and scowled when she saw that it was no other than the owner of the office. “I’m sorry if I woke you up”, simply stated Nicky with a voice far too subdued from her usual snarky tone. Gigi frowned even more, straightening her spine, wincing when it made a sound.

“It’s fine, it’s your office. I should go, I guess”, mumbled the blonde, picking up her sketches sharply. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

The American was almost to the door when Nicky grabbed her wrist firmly. “Please, do you mind if we chat… for a few minutes?” Gigi looked right into the other’s paler blue eyes and saw the storm brewing inside them. She nodded, freeing her wrist, but stayed close to the French woman.

“Okay, so this isn’t easy to say, but first, Crystal is at my apartment, and she’s fine. Relatively”, Nicky took a quivering breath, her hands shaking lightly, “I… kinda kissed her earlier. I just wanted to tell you because she’s beating herself up for nothing. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep it in”, Nicky admitted with a soft broken voice. Gigi could easily see the tension in her lean frame, her whole leg shaking from the nerves. She could see the trembling of her bottom lip, and against her will, Gigi found her so enticing.

But then her words registered – and the rage that had threatened to spill all day did. “YOU DID WHAT?!” Without realizing, she had grabbed the collar of Nicky and backed her in the wall nearby, pining her forcefully. “Why did you kiss my girlfriend, _salope_?” Gigi barely gritted through her teeth, her jaw clenching harshly.

She was surprised to see Nicky being so pliant about it, like she wasn’t even fighting anything, just resigning to bow down to her? “I’m sorry, I just like you both and I can’t handle it, _vous me rendez complètement folle_ , I can’t handle it, I never meant to push it”, the older blonde mumbled, not even attempting to fight Gigi for her freedom.

“I don’t understand _how_ you can say you don’t wanna be a bother and then do that? What am I missing?” Something didn’t add on, but Gigi couldn’t say what exactly. “I mean, _fuck_ , you make my head spin and I haven’t kissed you anyway”, she retorted instead, feeling her grasp on control diminish rapidly.

The American saw something flash in the blue eyes of the older woman, whom seemed to darken slightly at her admission. Unconsciously, Gigi tightened her hold over the woman’s wrists – wait, when did her hand move from her collar to her wrists?! – and closed her eyes, unable to handle the stare contest. “You haven’t yet”, quietly declared Nicky, poking at her a bit, more like her usual self. “Aren’t you going to?” She was goading the American but she had no idea of what that would lead to, biting her lip with anticipation.

“Only if you tell me what you’re keeping secret from me… you’re not a good actress, at all”, supplied Gigi, even if she was dangerously eyeing the bright red lips of her business partner with attention. Nicky scoffed, and shook her head. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you the truth”, she hissed with a low voice.

“Try me.”

“I didn’t kiss Crystal. She kissed me”, bit back Nicky maliciously, finally fighting back against the younger blonde’s restrain on her wrists, managing to break free one of her hands. She instantly grabbed the American by her collar, bringing them nose to nose, smirking. “What are you gonna do about it, huh? I bet you wish you would have been the first one to kiss me, right?”

“Stop it, I’m not doing it, I’m not gonna kiss you”, snarled Gigi with a shove, trying to separate them. The younger blonde only managed to lost control of the older woman’s other wrist, which enraged her even more. Nicky was destabilizing her, like she always did, and the Californian felt flat-footed, while the Parisian was standing tall and proud. “What, you don’t wanna share that experience with Crys?”

Gigi was fighting against the fury rising, white hot anger washing through her in cascading waves. The only thing holding her back was the loyalty she still felt towards Crystal – though, the redhead didn’t seem to care about it, right? Growling, her long fingers gripped the wrist of Nicky, still stuck at her collar, and clamped roughly, certain that she would leave a bruise. Nicky only laughed at this. “Stop playing hard to get, you know you wanted me since the first day”, she added, biting her lip in hopes of riling the younger one. “And honestly, I just want both of you in my bed”, the Parisian finally admitted, her free hand caressing Gigi’s cheek with way to much tenderness for the charged moment.

Just as Gigi felt her self-control snap, she heard a noise outside the office, and frowned. Nicky’s eyes were fixated above her shoulder, on the closed door, dark blue eyes dangerously narrowed. So she probably heard it too. From a common accord, without even speaking, they released their hold on each other. Gigi took the first thing she thought about – a compass she had used to draw earlier. At least it was sharp? From the corner of her grey eyes, she saw Nicky’s gaze still focused on the door, which was starting to move. The Californian felt Nicky’s soft fingers interlace with the ones from her hand not holding the made-up weapon. She was confused but disregarded it for the moment.

The door opened and Crystal frowned, before sighing in relief. “Good, so you’re not killing each other…”

“Yet”, she added as an afterthought. Pointing to Gigi, she grinned widely instead. “This was your weapon of choice against the invader?”

“Shut the fuck up Crystal Elizabeth, you’re just as bad at this, don’t try to pretend otherwise”, grumbled Gigi, throwing the compass back without care on the table. “What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you didn’t want to see me.”

“You know I was just angry”, started the redhead with a sad smile. Her eyes were pleading for things to get better. “I always wanna see you, Geeg”, she murmured. Gigi huffed a bit, noticing at the same time that Nicky was removing her hand and she turned to the older blonde. The Parisian looked awkward, and the heiress was surprised to see the unease etched on her usually confident traits. “Maybe I should leave you –“ started Nicky, moving away from both of them.

“NO, YOU STAY!”

“YOU STAY, SIT THE FUCK BACK DOWN”, barked Gigi with an irritated tone at the same time as her girlfriend shouted her answer. The American massaged her temples with her fingers roughly, feeling the headache rise up to the challenge. Stopping pacing for a second, she turned to Crystal. “Did you kiss Nicky?”

The blush on the redhead’s face was more than enough answer for the blonde. “Wow, I can’t fucking believe Nicky was telling the truth”, muttered the Californian under her breath. “Are you angry?” Gigi considered the question for a few moments. She had been, but now with her almost-kiss with Nicky, was she any better? What would have happened if Crystal didn’t make any noise? If the darkening bruises on Nicky’s wrists were of any indication, well…

Gigi shrugged, not knowing what to say exactly. “I was, but not anymore. I’m sorry for outing you against your will to our parents. They all took it well, though, if you were wondering”, sadly smiled Gigi, holding her arms wordlessly so she could pull her lover into her.

“I’m sorry for kissing Nicky”, sighed Crystal, coming to hug her best friend tightly, relief present on her face at the familiarity of Gigi’s arms and light perfume around her. “And you’re forgiven, we should have come out earlier, you were right.”

The blonde heiress chuckled, and wiped off a few stray tears from the redhead’s face. “It’s okay, it’s all done now.” Gigi hesitated, eyeing Nicky that was still nearby, legs crossed, waiting anxiously to hear the verdict. Hers or theirs, she wasn’t so sure. “Did you… enjoy kissing her?”

Crystal seemed to think for a few seconds, hesitation lodged deep in her dark brown eyes. “Yes, I did”, before adding with a mischievous smile, “maybe you should try it for yourself, she’s a _very_ good kisser.” Gigi heard the gasp of the Parisian sitting next to them and smirked.

“Don’t I get a say into this?” wondered Nicky with questioning in her blue eyes. Gigi raised an eyebrow and shot a look over to Crystal, before fully turning to her business partner, smirking back on her pale face. “Didn’t you want both of us in your bed, anyway?”

Nicky just shot up from her seat, swatting aimlessly at the blonde American’s chest and arms while Crystal watched them with mirth, a high-pitched laughter rising out of her throat. After a few seconds, the two blondes got pulled into a bear hug by the other one and when stormy grey eyes met pale blue ones, they just smiled.

* * *

“So, you two are ready to come home next week?”

Gigi, Crystal and Nicky were all seated in the Parisian’s warm office, watching through the screen where they had a conversation going on with Gigi’s family and Nicky’s mother regarding their eventual affiliation. In the last few days, the three of them had spent almost all their time together, at work or at Nicky’s large apartment. While they hadn’t discussed what they were, really, everything seemed fine. They were getting to know each other more, and how to handle life together.

“Actually, dad, I’d like to stay here with Crys, if you don’t mind”, began Gigi, a large smile on her face. “We have lots of things to create, still… and Nicky could use the help.” She had discussed it with her best friend, and they had both agreed they wanted to have more time to design with Nicky. Speaking of the French woman… she didn’t know anything about it and was watching them in awe, her hand sneakily grabbing Crystal’s one underneath the table and squeezing it tightly.

Gigi saw her father ruffle his beard a bit, cocking his head. “Hmm… I see. Did your French improve, at least? Nicky, Crystal, what are your takes on it?” While Nicky chuckled a bit, she still agreed that the other blonde made some progress. Crystal was just enthusiastically nodding at her second set of parents. “Alright… then I guess you two can stay with Nicky, if she has the place to spare”, Henry waited for the approval of the French woman before continuing. “But please, don’t you three spend all your time in bed, we actually need to get new collections out for the summer”, he finished with an amused smiled on his face. “Look at you! Two beautiful women on your arms…you are your father’s daughter alright!”

“DAD!” howled Gigi, feeling her cheeks burn up with discomfort at them knowing too much, especially with Nicky’s mother there too.

“It’s okay, honey, we know you – you’d never stay in France voluntarily unless there was something there”, provided Kristi with the same amusement as her husband. Gigi’s head was deep inside her shoulders, trying really hard to disappear at the moment, especially since they were all laughing. She felt Crystal’s hand land on her thigh and even though it burned her, it also made her feel calmer.

“I see no problem with all of this, it will make it even easier to market our products on French soil if they see your daughter here, Henry”, acknowledged Nicky’s mother with a smirk rivaling her daughter’s typical one. “Also, it will be fun to see my own daughter have a bit of competition for once, but having no choice to bow down because she’s so _whipped_ for them”, concluded the elder French woman, crossing her hands, and watching her daughter screech at her in the fastest French Gigi had ever seen her. She only understood a few curses thrown here and there and that was because she had been practicing. A lot – Nicky’s fault, of course.

“Alright, then it is settled. Crystal, I’ll tell your parents, so they’ll probably call in a few days”, smiled Kristi, “and you three be good, please.” Gigi scoffed at the “good” pun while they all said their goodbyes.

Nicky waited until she closed the laptop and twisted her chair around to watch them with narrowed eyes. “Okay, so when did you two clowns were thinking of telling me you were staying in Paris? So, you know, I didn’t have to fucking panic every day?”

“It was a surprise…”, admitted Crystal softly. “You’re not mad, are you?”

Nicky frowned, playing with the hem of her short red dress, dropping her head slightly on Crystal’s shoulder. “I’m not, I just have mixed feelings because you didn’t tell me so it’s a lot to take in.”

“Take all the time you need, love, we’ll be here”, promised Gigi, seeing the redhead nod eagerly next to her. **“We’ll make it work.”**

**Author's Note:**

> It’s me, your friendly neighbourhood CEO of the Throuples.  
> I am once again asking for your unconditional support.  
> I still don’t know what the hell I’m doing (that’s never gonna change tbh).


End file.
